The popular artist had been in custody since October 1 after being charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and illegal possession of a firearm following the deaths of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams in August and Gregory Park in July.

Reports from Jamaica now claim Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, escaped from Horizon Adult Remand Centre along with seven other prisoners after apparently holding the prison guards hostage at gunpoint.

According to the Hype Life Magazine, one prison officer died of a heart attack as a result of the escape while 12 others were injured. Two were shot with guns that had apparently been smuggled into the prison, the report suggested.

Some of the prisoners had taken the officers’ clothing and car keys to aid the escape, while one group apparently impersonated prison guards on the phone to ward off suspicion.

After gaining control of the jail, the prisoners managed to escape from the prison ground using a maintenance pick-up truck at around 1.45am, local time.

While one of the prisoners was captured by the police, the rest are currently on the run.

Kartel and the other escapees are now apparently listed as ‘Jamaica’s most wanted criminals’.